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49ers QB Thad Lewis tore his ACL in Sunday night's preseason opener.

One of the drawbacks of Chip Kelly's offense is that it puts quarterbacks at increased injury risk, and we saw that in San Francisco's exhibition opener. Lewis ran ahead of rookie Jeff Driskel on Sunday night. Driskel will move up a notch on the depth chart behind Blaine Gabbert and injured Colin Kaepernick. Aug 15 - 3:44 PM

49ers signed QB Thad Lewis, formerly of the Eagles, to a one-year contract.

Lewis spent last season holding a clipboard for Sam Bradford in Philadelphia. He'll slide in as San Francisco's No. 3 quarterback behind Blaine Gabbert and Colin Kaepernick. Lewis hasn't seen an NFL snap since 2013 when he started six games for Buffalo. Mar 9 - 6:16 PM

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49ers signed QB Thad Lewis, formerly of the Eagles, to a one-year contract.

Lewis spent last season holding a clipboard for Sam Bradford in Philadelphia. He'll slide in as San Francisco's No. 3 quarterback behind Blaine Gabbert and Colin Kaepernick. Lewis hasn't seen an NFL snap since 2013 when he started six games for Buffalo.

Lewis posted a brutal 56.8 passer rating during the preseason and was always a long shot to make the team. The Browns will move forward with Josh McCown and Johnny Manziel at quarterback. The 27-year-old Lewis hasn't played in the regular season since 2013.

27-year-old Lewis flashed signs of being a capable backup in 2013 with Buffalo before bottoming out with the Bills last year, and eventually getting cut. He wound up on the Texans' roster, but was again cut last week. Lewis has very little to offer the Browns, who remain quarterback starved even after making this move and paying Josh McCown a shocking $14 million over three years.

Bill O'Brien is declining to announce his Week 16 starter at quarterback.

It will either be Case Keenum or Thad Lewis. "I'm going to keep that one close to the vest," O'Brien said Wednesday. "Both these guys, Case and Thad, are out there working hard. Right up until game time, that's going to be the way it is." It sounds like he's going to try to keep the Ravens in the dark until Sunday morning. All Texans are hands off in fantasy Super Bowls.

With Ryan Mallett (pectoral) done for the season, Lewis will be the Texans' No. 3 quarterback. He may actually be active on game days if the Texans deem fourth-round rookie Tom Savage not ready for NFL action. Lewis was brutal in the preseason for the Bills after entering summer the favorite for No. 2 duties.

The Rams are already three deep at quarterback, so they could be considering a roster move. It's unlikely, however. A 2010 undrafted free agent, Lewis began his career in St. Louis, but never appeared in a game for the Rams. He was released by the Bills in August following a shaky preseason.

Lewis was the heavy favorite for No. 2 duties heading into spring. But he ended up completing 17-of-33 passes for 168 yards, zero touchdowns, and two interceptions, while taking three sacks this preseason. His passer rating was a pitiful 41.0. The Bills signed QB Jordan Palmer on Monday to compete with Jeff Tuel for the backup job. Lewis had a bad summer after making five 2013 starts.

Lewis was a lock for the 53-man roster a month ago, but has struggled this preseason. He's completed just 17-of-33 passes for 168 yards and two interceptions. The Bills were said to be "very high" on Lewis as their backup to E.J. Manuel in the spring. Jeff Tuel has outperformed Lewis this summer.

Lewis played ahead of Jeff Tuel after working with the third-team in Buffalo's preseason opener. He completed 6-of-11 passes for 63 yards and didn't have any turnovers. The camp reports on Lewis have been bad, but he remains the favorite to back up E.J. Manuel. Tuel threw for 24 yards, a touchdown, and an interception in Friday's win. A 2013 UDFA, Tuel appeared in two games last year and has practice squad eligibility.

With E.J. Manuel coming off three knee surgeries and proving to be rather injury-prone as a rookie, it's a battle worth monitoring from afar. Lewis entered the spring as the heavy favorite, but Tuel impressed during OTAs and "earned himself some more reps." The two have been splitting second-team work the first couple days of training camp. Lewis was far better than UDFA Tuel in 2013.

Lewis held his own in five starts filling in for E.J. Manuel last year, passing for 1,092 yards and a 4:3 touchdown-to-interception ratio. He's reuniting with QB coach Todd Downing, who came over with Jim Schwartz this offseason, and not expected to face competition for the backup job. The Bills are hoping that both Lewis and Manuel can take the next step in their development this year.

49ers LT Joe Staley (hamstring) is listed as doubtful for Week 14 against the Jets.

This takes a bit of air out of Colin Kaepernick's bounce-back balloon, and is a concern for Carlos Hyde as well. While Staley has struggled at times in pass protection this year, he has remained one of the NFL's premier run-blocking left tackles. Staley has started in 92 straight games for the Niners.